SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABILITY BLOG

  • About
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Our History
    • News >
      • Awards & Publications
    • Contact Us >
      • New Vendor Application
  • Initiatives
    • Purchasing
    • Low Carbon Dining
    • Waste Reduction
    • Prioritizing Real Food
    • Green Cleaning
  • Permaculture
    • How to Get Involved
    • History
    • Schedule a Tour
    • Our Gardens >
      • Franklin
      • Berkshire
      • Hillside
      • Hampshire
    • Medicinal Plant Guide >
      • Local Herbal Resources
      • Vocabulary
    • UMass Student Farmers Market
    • Donate Today
    • Annual Reports >
      • 2018
      • 2019
      • 2020
      • 2021
      • 2022
    • Local Permaculture Resources
  • Resources
    • How-To Guide for Food Service
    • How To Eat Sustainably on Campus
    • Low Carbon Dining
    • Virtual Gatherings
  • Events
  • Blog

10/24/2017

Student Farm Produce Now Sold At Harvest Market in the Campus Center

0 Comments

Read Now
 
This fall, we’re welcoming a new face to the campus center with the opening of a vegetable stand in Harvest Market. The UMass Student Farm is now selling organic, fresh, and ultra-local produce grown less than ten miles from campus. The UMass Student Farming Enterprise (SFE) is a student-run initiative supported by the University in which students gain experience planting, harvesting, cleaning, packaging, and selling food grown on-site, providing them with the knowledge and practice needed to manage a farm.
With the opening of a vegetable stand in Harvest Market, located next to the UPub and across from People's Organic Coffee, members of the campus community can now buy produce from the Student Farm any day of the week! ​​Each week, a vibrant array of winter squash, carrots, beets, leeks, and freshly-cut flowers is available for purchase using regular payment, UMass debit, dining dollars, or YCMP.
Picture
Romanesco broccoli grown at the Student Farm
Picture
A colorful array of vegetables and flowers for sale in Harvest Market
​Stop by Harvest to check out the display of this season’s veggies grown and harvested by fellow UMass students. Buying produce from the Student Farm is a fantastic way to reduce your impact on the environment and eat fresh, local foods while supporting a student-directed initiative that is helping to produce the next generation of forward-thinking farmers. 
Picture
UMass Student Farmers at work in the fields

Share

0 Comments

9/26/2017

The Return of the Trash Monster

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
UMass Dining's retiring Trash Monster in Blue Wall, created by students in 2016.
Our dear friend the trash monster is retiring, and we need your help to design a replacement! Lurking in Blue Wall Cafe near the dish return, the trash monster has stood as a reminder to students, faculty, staff, and visitors to campus that the waste we create does not disappear – it simply ends up somewhere else. 

​Waste visibility and being conscious of how much we are throwing away is a critical step in the waste reduction process. Here at UMass, the majority of the to-go containers, plates, bowls, cups, lids, napkins, straws, and utensils are compostable, yet most of these items end up in a garbage can rather than a compost due to convenience.
Picture
UMass students working to sculpt the original Trash Monster last year.
While it is important to “think before you throw,” it is even more essential to “think before you take.” This means considering how much food you are actually going to eat (rather than how much you think you want) and whether or not you really need to take it in a to-go container. Ceramic plates and bowls and metal utensils are always available in the Campus Center. Think carefully and choose wisely; the trash monster is watching all of us.
In order to continue to spread waste awareness, we are looking for a new group of students who want to participate in a unique campaign to reduce waste with their own creation. If you have an idea for a new trash monster design, check out the entry details here. Entries are due Tuesday, October 2nd, and the winning concept will receive $500 to use towards building the project! The winning design will be announced on Thursday, October 12th
Picture
An Eco-Educator helping customers compost their waste at the Zero Waste BBQ.

Share

0 Comments

8/3/2017

On The Ground: Poultry Gathering

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
On July 26, 2017 UMass Dining hosted a Poultry Gathering to facilitate a conversation with our community about how the local poultry industry can be supported, improved, and expanded. More than 45 people from sectors across the poultry industry attended, ​including local poultry producers, State and Federal agricultural agencies, Nonprofit organizations, and institutional food service operators from the Pioneer Valley. The gathering was created to identify priority actions for growing the region's poultry economy and increasing the production and consumption of humanely and sustainably raised local poultry.
​Currently, UMass purchases 5% of our chicken from New England vendors each year. Other local Colleges, including Mt. Holyoke, Smith, and Amherst, also purchase roughly 3-6% of their chicken locally. There is tremendous capacity for large institutions to source more local and sustainable chicken if the poultry industry can increase production to meet the demand.
Picture
UMass Student Farm chicken, some of the most local chicken available to the UMass campus.
At the beginning of the meeting, UMass Dining set forth an ambitious goal to double the amount of local chicken it purchases annually (principally from Massachusetts poultry farmers), to help other institutions do the same, and to increase of the state’s production of local, humane and sustainable chicken by doing so.
​The meeting closed after several small group discussions where participants discussed what it would take to increase poultry production in Massachusetts including attracting new farmers and allied investments, as well as increasing the likelihood of success through processing, storage, and infrastructure improvements.
Picture
A small group discussion at the Poultry Gathering
The next Poultry Gathering will be held on Thursday, November 2nd 2017 at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  If you or someone you know would like to attend the upcoming gathering, please email Brittany Florio, Senior Sustainability Coordinator at BFlorio@umass.edu.

Share

0 Comments

6/7/2017

On the Ground: Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference 2017

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Chef Ron DeSantis, Director of Culinary Excellence and Quality Assurance for Yale Dining, presenting about jackfruit and other underutilized edible plants.
This week, the 23rd annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference hosted by UMass Dining has returned! The theme of this year’s conference is The Power of Food, which encompass all aspects of food, including nutrition, community, food security, and sustainability. The conference focuses on the unique power and influence that high-volume food service operators and campus chefs have on our flawed food system. Chefs have the power to make our food more fair, healthy, and sustainable through their tremendous purchasing power and their influence on the food choices of young consumers. The annual Chef Conference hopes to empower chefs to question norms and tradition, ask questions about where the food they are serving is coming from, and to push innovations in our food system forward one meal at a time. Hundreds of participants registered for the five day long conference, attending workshops, presentations, and competitions to improve their own culinary skills, waste reduction strategies, and sourcing practices.
Picture
A beautiful diverse spread of dishes made by the chefs at the Taste of the World Chef Culinary Conference.
One of the many notable presenters at the conference was Sheila Bowman, the Manager of Culinary and Strategic Initiatives at Seafood Watch. Seafood Watch is the leading source of science-based recommendations for seafood found in the U.S. Market. At the conference, Sheila Bowman spoke of the many challenges that our oceans are facing due to the high demand for certain species and unsustainable practices of the fishing industry. Per the United Nations, over 80% of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited, over-exploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion.  Bowman explained how important it is to know where the fish you are buying comes from, how it was caught, who caught it, and what condition that species’ stocks are in. 
Picture
Check out Seafood Watch’s Recommendations to see what species of fish you should look for or avoid!
Picture
Sustainable Alaskan Salmon, listed on the Seafood Watch Green List, served at UMass Berkshire Dining Commons.
​Thanks so much to everyone who attended this year's conference for making it such a success!

​Be sure to check out the Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference next year from June 3rd – June 8th, 2018!  
​

Photos by Keith Toffling.

Share

0 Comments

5/30/2017

On the Ground: Wood Chips and no-till

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Freshly mulched paths at Berkshire Garden.
We started with our crew last week, and so far a lot has been accomplished. We began with a giant pile of wood chips from a local landscaping company. Every year, the paths in the permaculture gardens must be covered with wood chips. The chips deter weeds from growing, hold in moisture, and keep the gardens looking fresh and new. We spread about 25 cubic yards of wood chips in Franklin garden alone.

Wood chips or an alternative mulch are often utilized in no-till agriculture. All of the UMass permaculture gardens are maintained without tillage or turning of the soil. Tillage is used to prepare beds for planting crops, but it has many down sides. It increases erosion and loss of organic matter. Tilling the soil also disturbs microbes, fungi, and worms until they no longer reside there. No-till is a practice in which farmers do not till their soil and instead keep the soil covered and plant directly into the un-plowed earth. There are some difficulties to doing this, but it is better for the plants, microbes, and environment.

In the permaculture gardens, we spread wood chips in areas where we do not want weeds to go, like in the paths. To plant our crops, we dig right into the soil without any bed preparation or plowing. Once the crops are planted, we cover the surrounding soil with straw to prevent weeds and hold moisture in. This is a perfect environment for plants to grow and microorganisms to thrive. There is never a shortage of worms in a no-till system, and we have plenty in the permaculture gardens. Worms actually will feed on the wood chips and come to the surface to do so. In their travels, they aerate the soil which increases it ability to support life.

​We must start with the soil if we are to have healthy ecosystems. In the permaculture gardens, our soil is top priority and always cozy and covered.
Picture
Cucumber and lettuce plants cozy warm under a bed of straw.

Share

0 Comments

5/14/2017

Coursework Collaborations

1 Comment

Read Now
 
Picture
Spring planting of pollinator-friendly bushes and herbs.
Natural Resources Conservation (NRC) 185: Sustainable Living in the 21st Century, instructed by Professor Lena Fletcher, is one of the most popular introductory sustainability classes on campus. NRC 185 is an interdisciplinary, team-based learning class that explores many of the most critical social, environmental, and economic issues our society is facing today.
Every semester, NRC 185 students complete eight hours of civic engagement and create mini documentary films explaining their service-learning. Multiple groups from NRC 185 work with our Sustainability Coordinator of Campus Gardens, Xochi Salazar, to complete their projects. This semester, students volunteered in the permaculture gardens with Xochi for a month to prepare beds, collect litter from the garden, and learn about permaculture. The students also planted peas, radishes, strawberries, kale, bok choy, and more!
Picture
Asparagus almost ready for harvesting, one of the first crops ready in the spring.
We would like to thank NRC 185 students Tyler Weeks, Ryan Martin, Steven Chang, and Kayla Jewett for their time and passion! Check out their beautifully crafted video below to learn more about their experience!
Thank you to Xochi Salazar and Lena Fletcher for all of your hard work and dedication to hands-on student learning!

NRC 185: Sustainable Living  in the 21st Century is only offered in the spring. However, NRC 100: Environment and Society is also instructed by Professor Lena Fletcher and is still open for fall enrollment!

Share

1 Comment

3/7/2017

On the Ground: Upcoming Permaculture events

1 Comment

Read Now
 

Franklin Permaculture Garden
​Volunteer Hours 

Get your hands dirty in Franklin Permaculture Garden this Spring Semester! Join us for fun and food for thought!
​
Volunteer hours are every Thursday and Friday from 2:30 pm - 3:45 pm and will start March 23rd weather permitting. Click here for UMass Permaculture volunteer hour updates.
Picture
Volunteers working in the Franklin Permaculture Garden.

Self-Care Skill Share

​Join us to generate a toolbox for self-care methods that center healing from racial trauma and create sustainable activism. UMass Permaculture will provide a make your own organic lip balm station, as well as a DIY herbal tea bar. Other community members will share their knowledge and practices for self and community care.
​
This event will take place Wednesday, March 22nd from 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm in the Student Union Ballroom. Check out the Facebook event page for more information! ​
Picture
UMass Permaculture herbs.

Shiitake Log Inoculation

Dive deeper into mushroom exploration with mushroom expert John Michelotti of Catskill Fungi! Attend this workshop to help us revamp our shiitake growing system in the Franklin Permaculture Garden. Small, take-home shiitake logs will be available on a first come, first serve basis.
​
This workshop will have two sessions on Wednesday, March 29th in the Franklin Permaculture Garden from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm & from 4:15 pm  - 6:15 pm. Check out the Facebook event here. 
Picture
John Michelotti of Catskill Fungi.

Share

1 Comment

11/28/2016

ON THE GROUND UPDATE:Winter EVENTS with UMass Permaculture

0 Comments

Read Now
 
​Although the gardens on campus are closed for the season, UMass Permaculture is still hosting some exciting educational events to wrap up this semester:a film screening of Fresh, and a Handmade Holiday Gifts workshop! ​Both will be free and open to the campus community! 
Picture

​Fresh is an uplifting, critically acclaimed documentary that explores our current food system and ways to eat like a locavore even in a Massachusetts winter. The film peers into the hopeful world of sustainable agriculture. The film screening will be held on Monday, December 5th in the Berkshire Room located in Berkshire Dining Commons from 5pm-7pm and will follow with a short discussion afterwards. 

FRESH trailer from ana joanes on Vimeo.






UMass Permaculture also welcomes you to hand make customized holiday gifts on Monday, December 12th from 5pm-7pm in the Hampshire Lobby Meeting Room located in Hampshire Dining Commons. These gifts will include sugar scrubs, soaps, lip balms and sachets - all using herbs grown in the five permaculture gardens! Personalize your handmade gifts at the event's wrapping and decorating station.
Picture

Share

0 Comments

11/17/2016

ON THE GROUND UPDATE: WELCOMING TWO NEW MEMBERS TO OUR TEAM

0 Comments

Read Now
 
​
Picture
Jess Yu is a junior Economics major with a minor in Environmental Science. Growing up, she loved to tend to her vegetable garden with her parents, pick flowers, and play in the park. And as she started to learn about environmental degradation and issues such as climate change - she wanted to play an active role in promoting conscientious thinking and environmental education. She believes that raising awareness of ecological and environmental issues will act as a driving force of successful and feasible change. After all, “you have to know a system before you change it.” 

Through her Economics background, Jess hopes to bridge the gap between environment and business, She is intent on fighting against greenwashing in popular culture and committing the principles of sustainability to heart. In particular, she also cares deeply about issues such as poverty, social inequality, and food insecurity.

In her free time, Jess enjoys binge watching sitcoms, hanging out with her beloved sorority sisters, exploring new places, drinking tea, and reading humorous celebrity memoirs. On campus, she facilitates a sustainability-focused seminar called Eco-Rep and is involved with cultural groups. She also volunteers to give back to the organizations in and around the Pioneer Valley.

Picture
Kayleigh Boucher is a sophomore and a Natural Resources Conservation major. She is from Beverly, Massachusetts and grew up visiting her family's farm in Vermont. She has always loved animals and nature. Kayleigh is passionate about social justice, human health, and the environment and how these issues are all connected. She is especially interested in studying food systems, food justice, and sustainable agriculture. 

Kayleigh hopes to empower others to care about social and environmental issues and inspire them to do all that they can for each other and the natural world around them. She believes, as Jane Goodall once said, that "what you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." 

In Kayleigh's spare time she loves making art, cooking, spending time outdoors, visiting the ocean, and being with her friends and sisters. On campus she is involved in the UMass Divestment from Fossil Fuels Campaign, Talking Truth, the Real Food Challenge, Plant-Based Nutrition Club, and the iCons program. She is also an Eco-Rep facilitator and the Vice President of the Climateers, a student group on campus for students that care about the environment. 

Share

0 Comments

11/7/2016

ON THE GROUND UPDATE: COMMISSIONER & KENDALL FOUNDATION

0 Comments

Read Now
 
​Last week, we had two important visitors to our UMass Campus. The first was Commissioner John Lebeaux of the Department of Agricultural Resources. The second was Andy Kendall of the Kendall Foundation.
​​We informed our guests of the vast improvements we have made to our dining halls in the past fiscal year, more specifically in local and sustainable purchasing. $2 million was spent on Massachusetts farms & businesses - a 17% increase from last fiscal year. Including Massachusetts, a total of $3.5 million was spent on New England area farms and businesses - a 30% increase from FY 2015. Along with the increase in total expenditure, there were increases in spending for sustainable alternatives in every single food category from FY 2015. The most notables increases were exhibited through spending on dairy (68% more than FY 2015) as well as produce (55% more). 
Picture
Local farmers, head chefs, auxiliary directors - all in attendance for the Commissioner event
Picture
Commissioner Lebeaux participating in an apple crunch on National Food Day with the team
Picture
The UMass Dining team presenting a gift basket to Grantor, Andy Kendall

Share

0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
Details

    UMass dininG

    Entries are submitted by project staff and UMass students.

    CATEGORIES

    All
    Farmer Of The Week
    Food
    Food Hub Diaries
    On The Ground
    Sustainability
    UMass Amherst
    UMass Dining

    Archives

    May 2022
    January 2022
    November 2020
    September 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

UMASS DINING . UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST . AMHERST, MA 01003
phone: 413-545-8682 | www.umassdining.com
  • About
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Our History
    • News >
      • Awards & Publications
    • Contact Us >
      • New Vendor Application
  • Initiatives
    • Purchasing
    • Low Carbon Dining
    • Waste Reduction
    • Prioritizing Real Food
    • Green Cleaning
  • Permaculture
    • How to Get Involved
    • History
    • Schedule a Tour
    • Our Gardens >
      • Franklin
      • Berkshire
      • Hillside
      • Hampshire
    • Medicinal Plant Guide >
      • Local Herbal Resources
      • Vocabulary
    • UMass Student Farmers Market
    • Donate Today
    • Annual Reports >
      • 2018
      • 2019
      • 2020
      • 2021
      • 2022
    • Local Permaculture Resources
  • Resources
    • How-To Guide for Food Service
    • How To Eat Sustainably on Campus
    • Low Carbon Dining
    • Virtual Gatherings
  • Events
  • Blog